Thomas s



T. S. MINNISSL Car C0un|ing.

Patented May 14,1867.

N.PETF.RS, PHDTD-LITNOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON, D, c

guitar tetra gm @ffi nt THOMAS S. MINNISS, OF MEADVILIJE, PENNSYLVANIA. Lem-5 Patent .No. 64,689, dated ZlIay 14, 1867,

IMPROVED QAIt-GOUPLING.

an fitlgiluilt mom: in in li ht)? Zitfittfi i1itnt imt mating onrtnt flgt time.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAYCONOERN:

Be it known that I, THOMAS S; Mmmss, of the city of Meadville, in the county of Crawford, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an improvement in Car-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is 'a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon. I v p The nature of my invention consists in making thc weight that falls on the link back of the pin to have a hook near its lower endlthat will swing forward under the pin holo'in the upper jaw of tho -draw-head, the hook hanging low enough iii the mouth of the draw-head so as to be struck by the link as it enters and thus force the hook from under the (ind of the pin and let it slip through the link. The upper end of'weighted hook will extend up through an opening back ofthe pin hole to the top of the draw-head where it will spread outin front so as to have a hole in it for the pin to ,pass through into the pin hole in the draw-head, and then the weight, of both pin and hook will bear on the inner. end of the link and holdit in a horizontal position, when the shackle is complete.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describeits construction and operation. i i

A is an ordinary flaring-mouthed draw-head, except that the lower lip is not so steep in the middle as it is at the corners, being hollowed as it rises up .till it-corresponds to the rounded end of the link at its upper edge. The object of this is to carry the/fulcrum of the link when in position nearer to the mouth of the drawhend and thus take less weight to hold it horizontally, (see I, figi l.) The stop or hook C, fig. 2, ismade of cast or wrought iron, about three-fourths of an inch thick'where it Works in the slot II II, figs. 1 and 3. The point of bearing I fig. 2, is so far front that when dropped into the slot H the weight of the shank and top will make'thc hook D swing intoits place across the pin hole. The red lines in'fig. 1 show the stop in position and the pin drawn up. The dotted lines show the stop forced back by the link G and the pin Bthrough .it. To

unoouple, the pin is raised nearly out of the draw-head and pried over backwards till it will shove D across the pin hole and the pin can be dropped in and remain set, while the shank E will rest on top of the link till it is drawn out without dislodging the pin till the link is again forced in.

I do not claim a pendent trigger from the-end of the pin, nor a weight on the inner cndof the link to hold it horizontal, as I have already patented these; but what I do claim-as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A stop or hook that will hang on top of the draw-head and Swing by its own gravity across the pin hole, which, in combination with the pin when it is dislodged, will make a complete counterbalance to the projecting end of the link to hold it horizontal, being a catch, trigger, and weight combined in a single piece, constructed and operated as and for the purpose set forth.

THOS. S. MINNISS.

Witnesses:

H. L. MILLARD, J. H. Giissox. 

